Thin Ice
by Just Canceled
Summary: AU. Very AU. Sequel to Reload. When your world comes crashing down…when your past comes back to haunt…
1. Thin Ice

**Title**: Thin Ice

**Series**: Danny Phantom

**Summary**: AU. Very AU. Sequel to Reload. When your world comes crashing down…when your past comes back to haunt…

**Chapters**: 2

**Rating**: M: Violence-Mild Torture (Captivity)

**A/N**: Sequel to Reload. This is darker, I think. Hope you guys like it.

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Sam rolled over under the sheet, staring up at Danny. He was still asleep, blue eyes closed against the world. She snuggled closer to his warmth, happily sighing.

After taking out the gang known as the Ghosts, Danny had almost completely given up his life of violence. He had begun working at a pawn shop just down the street from Tucker's bar. When the old man who owned it decided to sell it, Danny bought it, it was one way he could keep in contact with the arms dealer's around the city.

Being married for almost a year, Sam was quite content with her life. Danny was the ideal husband, and they were doing quite well, even if they were still living over Tucker's bar.

Tucker had found himself a nice girl too, who just breezed into the bar one night and captured poor Tucker's heart. Valerie was a nice enough girl, but Sam didn't fully trust her, but as long as she made Tucker happy, Sam could care less.

Looking back down at the sleeping Danny, Sam brushed a soft kiss across his forehead before crawling out of bed. Walking into the small dining room, Sam heard a noise. Soft at first, then louder. Spinning around quickly, Sam wasn't prepared for the blow that knocked her off her feet.

She saw only the briefest flash of blue-black hair before she was knocked unconscious.

Sam woke up slowly; she was tied to a chair in what appeared to be an old apartment building's basement. Moving her head slowly she looked around.

The ground was littered with broken glass, empty beer cans, used condoms, and other disgusting reminders of the previous inhabitants. There was a broken down couch against one wall and a bare mattress to Sam's left. The mattress was stained with what Sam assumed was dried blood and various other bodily fluids.

Sam almost dry heaved at the stench. There was a dead mouse by her foot, with part of its head missing. Trying to scoot away from the decaying mouse, Sam found that the chair was bolted to the floor.

Sam began to pray.

Danny awoke a little while later, calling out for Sam. When she didn't answer, Danny searched the apartment, before going over to Tucker's apartment. Knocking once before rushing in, Danny woke Tucker up.

"What is it, Danny?" Tucker said sleepily as he pulled the sheet up to cover his almost bare body.

"Sam's gone." Tucker blinked once.

"What do you mean?"

"She's gone. I woke up and she wasn't there. Now get your lazy ass up and help me find her." Tucker groaned, turning over, facing away from Danny.

"Try again in a…" Tucker never finished his sentence as Danny lifted Tucker out of bed by his neck.

"Say what?" Tucker shook his head. "That's what I thought."

"Let me at least get some pants on." Tucker said once Danny had dropped him on the cold hardwood. Danny nodded once, going to stand in the hallway.

After Tucker emerged from the apartment, fully dressed, he followed Danny into Danny and Sam's apartment.

"Hey, don't worry man; she probably went to the supermarket or something."

Danny shook his head. "She went food shopping yesterday."

"Well, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Hey, I'll be right back, I've got to piss."

Tucker walked into the bathroom, than ran back out when he saw the writing on the mirror. '3 PM-Lion's Gate Park'. Besides the writing was a picture of Danny and Sam, only Sam's picture had been slashed with a razor.

"Fuck." Was all Danny said when he saw it.

At three that afternoon Danny was standing within the gates of Lion's Gate Park, the local hangout of every dirty scumbag and drug dealer, from traffickers of cocaine to child porn, Lion's Gate Park was the epitome of decaying moral value.

Danny was dressed once again, all in white. Holstered by his left side was a Smith and Wesson .357 Sig, and on his right an S&W 990L. Strapped to his thighs were his trusty knives, his Bowie on his right, his 498 on his left.

Walking to the middle of the almost deserted park, though Danny knew come night fall all of the city's creeps and freaks would show up, trading their wares. He stood by the moss covered, algae skimmed fountain, waiting for the mysterious kidnapper to show up.

Just a moment later, Danny caught sight of a blue blur out of the corner of his eye. Turning to face the shadowy figure, he frowned.

"Ember. I should have known."

"Well, hello Daniel. Long time no see. So what have you been doing since you killed my father?"

"Your father was a good man, Ember. You shouldn't be like this."

"You killed my father, Daniel. What was I supposed to do? Let it slide?" Ember smirked at him. "No, I took a page out of your book, I'm getting _revenge_. Revenge on the man who took my father from me."

"Ember…" Danny started. "I'm sorry. I've killed many people, but your father…he was the only innocent person I've ever killed. I still haven't forgiven myself. But what you are doing, Ember…you're tarnishing his memory. Now tell me where Sam is."

"My father was innocent, Daniel. Yet, you still killed him. Why?" Ember's voice was emotionless, save for a slight hint of curiosity.

"It was an accident, Ember. An accident."

Back in the abandoned building, Sam began to shiver. How long she had been there, she didn't know. It was starting to get cold but Sam couldn't move to get any warmer. The cold wind blew in from a broken window.

Shivering again, Sam pulled against the metal ties that kept her to the chair. They dug into her skin, drawing blood and making Sam cry out. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, as she began to lose hope.

"Tell me where she is, Ember." Danny made no move to pull his gun or threaten the small woman in anyway. Ember was standing only a few feet from him, blue hair blowing in the cold breeze.

"Never, Daniel. She's gone and you can't have her back." Ember laughed haughtily. "I beat you Daniel. Your little wife is going to freeze to death in that basement while you die at my hands. Bastard."


	2. Finding Sam

**Chapter Two: Finding Sam**

Sam shivered once again in the cold, her tears freezing to her cheeks, as her breath puffed in front of her in small white bursts. Her lips were turning blue around the edges and she could no longer feel her fingers or toes.

Hypothermia wasn't far away, and Sam could feel the cold seeping further into her, chilling ever her bones.

Danny looked at the woman before him, with pity and shame. He had killed her father.

_flashback_

Eighteen year old Danny was inexperienced but somehow the Army saw potential in him. Especially one Captain MacLain.

Captain MacLain had taken Danny under his wing in Danny's first days of training. After Danny had taken the placement test and been assigned to the secret program Captain MacLain had treated Danny like a son. Danny thought of Captain MacLain as one of the only decent people he had ever met.

Until Danny killed him, Danny couldn't have asked for a better mentor.

_It was dark, pitch black against the snow that would be blinding in the daytime. Danny huddled down against the side of the building, waiting for his target to appear._

_When the large figure of a man stepped onto the porch of the cabin, Danny took perfect aim, firing once, killing the man. It wasn't for several minutes that Danny realized his mistake. _

_That was the first and only time Danny had taken an innocent life._

_End Flashback_

"I'm sorry Ember, for what I have done. It was my mistake that cost your father his life, and for that I will never be able to forgive myself. Think about what you are doing to Sam, an innocent. Do you want to turn out like me, Ember?"

Ember stood silently for a moment before hanging her head. "I'm sorry, Daniel. But this is payback. You killed someone I cared about; it's only fair to kill someone you care about."

"Damnit! Ember, your father was my mentor! You think I didn't care about him? He was the second father I had lost!"

His words must have made contact with Ember's grief addled mind.

"I'm so sorry, Danny. Sam's in the basement of a condemned building on 43rd Street." She tossed Danny a set of keys. "You'll need these."

"Ember…I really am sorry." She nodded as he ran to find Sam.

Sam was cold, so cold. Her mind could no longer process anything besides the cold. Her lips were completely blue, her fingers and toes turning a dark shade of purple at the tips.

She was so cold she wouldn't remember Danny running down the stairs, unlocking her, freeing her from her frozen prison.

It wouldn't be until later, much later, that she would learn the full truth behind what had happened.

Danny sat beside Sam's hospital bed, holding her now warm hand. For the amount of exposure Sam had suffered, she had taken not many ill effects. She had mild frostbite on one of her fingertips and was severely cold for several days, but she pulled through with remarkable tenacity.

Danny was thankful.

"I love you, Sam." Danny said to the sleeping woman.


End file.
